At the same time, the court has dramatically reduced the number of its judgments on the merits. In 1970, it decided 250 cases; in 2016, 75. The reason is straightforward. The court has been overwhelmed by the problem of docket management. During the same period, the number of petitions for review has almost doubled, from 4,000 to 7,500.
Source: latimes.com – Los Angeles Times